What is the Crossroads Youth Leadership program?

“The purpose of Crossroads Youth Leadership is to cultivate leadership skills among young individuals in our community, empowering them to become effective leaders as they transition into high school and beyond. Through mentorship, education, and hands-on experiences, we aim to expose youth to diverse leadership styles, guiding them to understand the essence of leadership and how it manifests in various contexts. By fostering confidence, resilience, and a sense of responsibility, we aspire to equip our youth with the tools necessary to positively impact their communities and navigate the challenges they may encounter on their leadership journey.”

This is the description written on the application of the new program. The idea for the program started with a conversation between Ashley Geigle, Economic Developer, and Abby Martinez, Third-grade teacher, who wanted to create an opportunity for 4th-6th graders to learn what it means to step into a leadership role and how to act accordingly by accepting that responsibility. In Jones County, when students enter 7th grade, they get to choose class officers, Student Council representatives, 4-H officers and more.

Thus, the program was initiated this year with Geigle and Martinez as the directors. The pilot program received the interest of four students; Madie Nix, Melaynee Geigle, Jameson Tucker, and Max Van Dam.

The program was divided up into four morning class sessions with a celebration dinner upon completion of all four classes. In session one, a discussion was had on leadership in sports. The students toured the First Fidelity Bank and visited the Meals on Wheels program at the Senior Center in Murdo, S.D., where the students helped prepare and serve meals.

In session two, the class travelled to Chamberlain to visit the Akta Lakota Museum, the Dignity Statue, and the S.D. Hall of Fame. The goal of session two was to immerse the students in Native American culture.

For session three, the class visited the Jones County Courthouse and learned about how each department relies on each other to function at their best capacity. The students also listened to a discussion from Le Ann Birkeland, who explored what it meant to be a leader in a school board position.

For their last session, the students visited West Central Electric and gained an understanding of what a member-owned co-op is. During their time there, the kids had the opportunity to ride 60 ft. in the air in a bucket truck. Afterwards, the class volunteered at the Meals on Wheels program to prepare and serve meals again.

“We thought it was a very successful first year. We had really great parents and students that adjusted with us as we switched schedules, dates, times, etc. I am excited to continue working towards improving areas for next year.” remarks Geigle about how the first year went.

The celebration dinner for the program was held August 18 at the Senior Center. Parents were invited to attend. Students helped prepare, serve and clean up after the meal that they chose. Completion certificates were handed out to the four students and each student finished this phrase: “This year I’m committed to...”

The Crossroads Youth Leadership program is expected to continue to run every year. If you missed out on the opportunity this year, you may apply next year. The program hopes to expand, adjust and make improvements as the years progress.

“Our community partners really are what made the program successful,” says Martinez. “The businesses and community members helped the students get some hands-on experience to really understand how leadership works within all facets of our community. We are really looking to plant the seeds that will help grow some great leaders for our community and state in the future in whatever areas they choose to serve.”